Trip to the Dentist

Today, I took the kids to the dentist. Avery has been to the dentist on a couple of occasions before this and I have always left feeling like a terrible parent. Avery is just one of those kids who are prone to cavities. We brush morning and night and still have "sugar bugs"! This was the first trip for Brielle and Chasen. I was terrified of how it was going to go. But I tried to be as proactive as possible...taking them all to a pediatric dentist, napping Chase early, prepping Brie about taking pictures of her teeth, etc... I was completely relieved at how well Chasen behaved with the Dr. I had expected a lot of screaming and lock-jaw, but instead, got a very sweet and cooperative little boy! Small Blessings!
Brielle also did fantastically(is that a word!?!) She wanted me to stay with her, but as soon as I told her I couldn't because I needed to be with Chase, she went with Avery and was fine! She especially loved picking out the goodies after all was said and done.
Avery, of course, had cavities. A lot cavities. Well just 2, but 1 was huge!!! It was so big. the Dr. had to extract a tooth, in front of the decayed molar, to make room for the crown on the molar. It was more important for her to keep her decayed(now fixed!) molar, until she is 10, than the tooth in front of it. Something to do with spacing for her permanent teeth. I left feeling like a terrible mother!!! I did everything I could to prevent that feeling from creeping up on me...it didn't work. She came walking out of the back room, puffy and swollen, with a smile on her face! (The laughing gas must have still be in her system!) I felt horrible. Avery called me a "cry-baby" because I was so bothered about the extraction. She was fine. They even gave her a key chain to hold the extracted tooth in. Gross!
By the time we got home from the dentist, Avery was in desperate need of more Motrin. Once it got in her, she was fine! She needs to go back for a filling and some sealants, but after today, that's a piece of cake!
I do have to say that I'm proud of myself. I attempted a pretty big task, with all of my children, alone, and we all survived! Yeah!!! I guess I can be a mother of 4...